2018 YPIF Award

The ePIFanyNow™ Y-PIF Award honors youth who are passing kindness forward and making a positive contribution to their communities. To be eligible for the award, we are looking for youth in grades 5 through 12 who have used their time, talents and treasures to benefit and enhance the lives of others.

The Y-PIF Award is an opportunity for youth to get recognition and added funding for their youth-led activities/projects that provide an in-kind service to others and make a positive contribution to their communities.

Y-PIF Recipients

2017 Y-PIF Award.

We had some wonderful nominees for the 2017 Y-PIF award and thanks to the financial support of ePIFanyNow™ sponsor, MSUFCU, we were able to award four recipients with prizes totaling $9,000 to go towards their inspirational projects. It’s not too early to start thinking about the 2018 Y-PIF awards. Encourage youth to pass kindness forward and consider nominating someone next year.

Kanin Sings to End Cancer

Kanin Thelen is a dedicated pre-teen vocalist and student from Dewitt. Kanin is a very quiet young girl but she has noticed that when she sings she has the ability to lift the spirit of others. After her vocal coach found out he had cancer, Kanin wanted to do something to help. She started collecting cans and bottles but soon had an epiphany of sorts, she thought the best way to honor Mr. Gregg was by song. She takes song request and records a video (or sings in person) from anyone. This is her way of helping a man who has taught her and so many other music students in the Lansing area. She believes that charity starts at home and inside — and has seen firsthand that need is often right in front of you if you only look.

Kanin just found out that a classmate in Dewitt was diagnosed with Leukemia. It was her idea to continue her efforts to help more families. This has really touched her as it is someone her age. Kanin will continue to energize efforts in her community. Kanin will be singing at The Crafted Bean in Dewitt on May 13th at 11:00 am for additional donations. Kanin is asking for your vote so she can help her classmate. Every dollar (vote) that you pledge, will go to Addy. A vote of 1, 5, 10, 20, 100..will help her family a tremendous amount.

Kanin will be singing to the children at Sparrow Hospital in the Children’s Center this Friday. Kanin would like to continue to sing to the children in the hospital every month. I challenge you to do a Random Act of Kindness and share it with Kanin at the ePIFany Now Celebration on Sunday, May 7th. You might just hear her sing.

She is touching many people with her music and her cause. It truly can take a smile or a nice comment to make someones day. Kindness matters.

The Be More Kind Club at Jackson’s Northwest High School has been working to create a more welcoming and friendly environment within our school and community. This group of high school students has been offering students, staff and community members multiple opportunities to show gratitude and kindness. They have encouraged students to write more than 2,000 cards of gratitude, create a thousand sentence strips that were then used to design a 10 foot by 36 foot “Be Kind” display, organized a “surprise” assembly to thank a community member for his support for our students, and much more. They want to continue to offer students, staff, and community members opportunities to show they care.

These students are thinking beyond themselves on a BIG scale. They aren’t just affecting change in their lives, they are inspiring our whole school and community!

2016 Y-PIF Award.

We had some wonderful nominees for the 2016 Y-PIF award and thanks to the financial support of ePIFanyNow™sponsor, MSUFCU, we were able to award four recipients with prizes totaling $1,500 to go towards their inspirational projects. It’s not too early to start thinking about the 2017 Y-PIF awards. Encourage youth to pass kindness forward and consider nominating someone next year.

Suitcases for Kids

Capital Area Humane Society Teen Volunteer

Jeremie’s Police Thank You Party

Alzheimers Association Kids Walk

Grades 5 – 8Skylar Medes

Grades 9 – 12Rachel Kilmer

Grades 5 – 8Jeremie Bordua

Grades 5 – 8Sebastian Williams

Skylar Medes and her family have been a foster home to ten children over the past fouryears. She noticed that only one of those ten children came with a suitcase and decidedto do something about it. Skylar started collecting gently used clothing for LutheranSocial Services and organizing shelving units there to hold the items she donated. Sincestarting her project, she has raised almost $240 and has provided six shelves with a goalto add four more. Her ultimate goal is to make sure that kids in foster care have asuitcase to take with them until they find they forever home. Skylar now has anadditional $718 towards her project after winning the $500 Y-PIF award and raising$218 online during the voting period.

Rachel Kilmer has been a teen volunteer at the Capital Area Humane Society for four years. She started as a Training workshop camper and has become a Humane Education Program Counselor, an Animal Behavior Volunteer and even trains new staff. Rachel is described as a leader and role model for younger students with a peaceful nature and huge heart. Her natural canine training abilities and complete dedication to shelter pets makes her an irreplaceable member of the volunteer team. After participating in Y-PIF, Rachel was able to donate $631 to CAHS as she was awarded the $500 award and raised $131 online during voting.

Jeremie Bordua gained national attention for his thank you party that he planned for police officers who he thought were being viewed negatively. Jeremie was bullied and wanted to make a difference for the police and let them know they still had people who supported and believed in them. He gave up his birthday money, started a GoFundMe account and raised money by baking 400 dozen cookies. In total, Jeremie raised around $10,000. He partnered with the Lansing school district to plan the party and many vendors donated their services. Several hundred people attended the party and the additional funds not used for the party were donated to the Lansing Police Athletic League, a nonprofit that pairs officers with at-risk youth for sporting activities. Jeremie is currently planning to hold an annual summer cookout for law enforcement. He was awarded a $250 Y-PIF award and raised $58 online.

Sebastian Williams has participated in the Lansing Walk to End Alzheimer’s for several years before deciding to put together the first kid-only walk team last year. He recruited, organized and led his team, raising over $500. Sebastian was awarded a $250 Y-PIF award and raised $240 online.

2015 Y-PIF Award.

The ePIFanyNow™ Y-PIF Award honors youth who are passing kindness forward and making a positive contribution to their communities. It is an opportunity for youth to get recognition and added funding for their youth-led activities/projects that provide an in-kind service to others and make a positive contribution to their communities.

Click on the links below to learn more about our 2015 Y-PIF Award Recipients and their projects.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Past Events

MAY 7, 2017
Michigan State University Federal Credit Union
3777 West Road
East Lansing, MI

MAY 1, 2016
Michigan State University Federal Credit Union
Sunday, May 3 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
3777 West Road
East Lansing, MI

MAY 3, 2015
Michigan State University Federal Credit Union
Sunday, May 3 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
3777 West Road
East Lansing, MI

MAY, 2014
Michigan State University Federal Credit Union
Sunday, May 3 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
3777 West Road
East Lansing, MI

OCTOBER, 2013
MSU University Club
Sunday, October 6 from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m.
3435 Forest Road
Lansing, MI
Special thanks to our sponsors BUD KOUTS CHEVROLET and MSU University Club
Bud Kouts Chevrolet
MSU University Club

FEBRUARY, 2013
Michigan State University Federal Credit Union
Sunday, February 17 from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m.
3777 West Road
East Lansing, MI